Summer League 2010

[RaisingArizona]

Summer Suns summary

Phoenix Suns update:

Here is a quick overview for the Summer Suns roster, polished off by Suns Director of Player Personnel Todd Quinter after departed Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin left.

The Summer Suns will play NBA Summer League games at UNLV on July 9, 10, 12, 14 and 15 with NBATV broadcasting the games on the 9th (3 p.m. vs. Houston), 10th (1 p.m. vs. Toronto) and 15th (3 p.m. vs. Golden State). The team will have two-a-day practices in Las Vegas on July 7 and 8.

Earl Clark: You heard about him training in Miami with Amar'e Stoudemire but he apparently has been working hard ever since the season's end, when Alvin Gentry told him he would be disappointed if he was not a rotation player next season. He will get rotation time, probably meaning Louis Amundson will want to sign elsewhere. Clark has added about 15 pounds to his frame. After a year of seasoning, Clark should thrive in the summer games.

Taylor Griffin: He is expendable if he does not show more than his consummate work ethic, teammate character and fashion sense. He felt like he came a long way in learning a new position (the wing) at a new level and will have to show it for the team to pick up his team option. He is an inexpensive option to keep and has proven to be a good practice player who knows the system.

Gani Lawal: He and Dwayne Collins are in town already. Suns Director of Player Personnel Todd Quinter said he scouted Lawal three times. "I like that he improved every year I saw him," Quinter said. "He got better facing the basket on offense and with his back to the basket. He fixed his stroke to some extent. In the end, I think he'll be a dependable midrange shooter. He plays so hard. He is constant energy. He's mechanical but an athlete. He looks like he's dragging a bus behind him but he flies." He will play some center on this team. In Chicago, Lawal measured at 6 feet 9 in shoes, weighed 233 pounds and had a 7-foot wingspan and an 8-11 1/2 standing reach with 6.3 percent body fat.

Dwayne Collins: Collins is also in town and will kept off the court this week while he continues to do rehabilitation after a minor knee surgery for a slight meniscus tear. He will travel with the team to Las Vegas but might not play. Quinter said he remember the first time he saw Collins was as a Miami freshman against Louisville. He dominated physically on the interior and Quinter thought about how good he was going to be. He has some inconsistencies in effort but he is a "manster" when he does often bring it. "Our practices are going to be wars with those two guys and Robin (Lopez)," Quinter said. The best tidbit on Collins since seeing his massive hands comes from FS Arizona's Mark McClune and Josh Hall, who noticed that Collins arrived in Phoenix with a "Mr. Irrelevant" tattoo on his hand. He was the draft's last pick, which in the NFL draws the "Mr. Irrelevant" tag.

Scottie Reynolds: This is a gift for the Suns after Reynolds became the first undrafted first team All-American since the 1976 ABA-NBA merger. He has a shot at making the team as a third point guard so that the Suns can back off Steve Nash in practices. He is not a traditional point guard he can score and play an uptempo game.

Zabian Dowdell: Dowdell impressed the Suns last year at summer league and figured to be at Suns training camp until a guaranteed overseas deal. He wound up playing for Tulsa in the D-League and then was snapped up for Unicaja Malaga's stretch run. He also has a shot at being the roster's third point guard. The Summer Suns could play a lineup with Dowdell and Reynolds as the backcourt. Dowdell, who went to Virginia Tech, is now 25 years old.

Those are the main guys. The rest are:

Sean Prewitt: The roster's only legitimate center is a banger who played at Illinois.

Matt Janing: The Northeastern combo guard is 6-5 and makes plays off the pick-and-roll with a good handle and has the most athletic hands this side of Jared Dudley.

Anton Ponkrashov: The 24-year-old Russian shooting guard is 6 feet 7 and 205 pounds. He played on the national team and is a lefthanded playmaker.

Ryan Toolson: The former Gilbert High star, one of three local products on the team, is best known for a 63-point game he had as a Utah Valley State senior a year ago. He is Danny Ainge's nephew and not surprisingly will be the best shooter on this team. He played in Turkey last season.

Lawrence Hill: The former Deer Valley High star is a tough small forward who played at Stanford. He played for Veracruz in Mexico this year.

Gavin Edwards: The former Mesquite High was a part of two Suns draft workouts after finishing up at Connecticut, where he improved so much as a senior that his playing time tripled and he average 10.6 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Marcus Johnson: The USC swingman, who once was Edwards' UConn teammate, is a defense-oriented leaper who averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds as a senior. He once held Quincy Pondexter to two points.
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/88028


Looks like Scottie Reynolds could make the team as well as our draft picks.

[GD2]

Taylor Griffin was a pointless waste of money, hopefully his option isn't picked up.

[jdswish24]

I will be there for the Vegas Summer League! GO SUNS!

[raff]

Taylor Griffin was a pointless waste of money, hopefully his option isn't picked up.

He was there to make up the numbers. Didn't we have the minimum number of guys on the roster this season?

I am very very interested in seeing what Clark can do, especially if he has the expectation of becoming a rotation player.

[JohnVancouver]

I'd like to see Johnson make the cut

[sunfire0112]

I'd like to see Johnson make the cut

Me too. A SG w/ the size and athleticism to become a great defender? Sign me up. Right now he sounds like an offensive liability but if he continues to work on his 3pt shot, he'd be a great pick up.

[GHillDrnksSpryt]

Clark has added about 15 pounds to his frame.

awesome!

[rsavaj]

I hope Earl Clark makes a similar leap like Lopez/Dragic did last year.

[rsavaj]

Taylor Griffin was a pointless waste of money, hopefully his option isn't picked up.

He's a good practice player and a good guy in the locker-room. I have no complaints about the 13th man.

[MrVince]

Looking forward to seeing the progress of the Suns summer league team.

[rsavaj]

I wish Javaris Crittenton could be on our summer squad. Lakers got him back.

[JasonDaPsycho]

I hope Earl Clark makes a similar leap like Lopez/Dragic did last year.

So do I.

[JohnVancouver]

I wish Javaris Crittenton could be on our summer squad. Lakers got him back.

They did? Hell -

God, I hate the lakers

[KJ7]

Considering our front court is the most interesting this this summer league I would like to see us add a pass-first PG even if he has no chance of making it.

The problem with forwards/centers at summer league is that they sometimes player with PG's who want to show what they can do and call their own number way too often.

Good to hear about Clark's work ethic and putting on some pounds. Still very hopeful he can make it but in a way I'm glad we have a few other options in the front court cos hopefully that will put him under some pressure to perform sooner rather than later.

[daddyfivestar]

quick question:

DJ Strawberry is on the Lakers SL roster. Did he show anything in his time with the Suns?

[realsunsfan]

I wish Javaris Crittenton could be on our summer squad. Lakers got him back.

They did? Hell -

God, I hate the lakers

former Lakers first-round draft pick Javaris Crittenton is not on the team's summer-league roster, even though he was considered, according to team spokesman John Black, meaning it's unlikely Crittenton will fill the other back-up guard slot that will be open if the Lakers can't re-sign Brown. ESPN.com

[Wormwood74]

quick question:

DJ Strawberry is on the Lakers SL roster. Did he show anything in his time with the Suns?

Pros:

* Defensive ace. Capable of shutting down most PGs and a lot of SGs.
* Ridiculous athlete. Superb lateral quickness
* Good length
* Very fast in the open court
* Above average court vision and passing for a SG

Cons:

* Stuck between 1 &2
* Awful shooter
* Terrible touch, misses tons of lay ups.
* Questionable decision making as a PG
* Handles aren't good enough to be a full time PG

[KJ7]

He's basically like QRoss. Good defender on dribble-penetration opponents but a bit of a black-hole offensively. I still wouldn't mind a player like him. If he has developed a consistent 20 foot jumper he would be a servicable role-player.

[RaisingArizona]

We start Friday, summer league officially starts today.

[JohnVancouver]

I'd really love to see Crittenton here